Plans to close streets outside schools in Reading to vehicles at drop-off and pick-up times are moving forward, with funding now available.

With thousands of pupils soon returning to school, Reading Borough Council (RBC) is inviting schools and colleges across the borough to apply to create a School Street outside their buildings.

The council has been granted £150,000 by the Department for Transport (DfT) encourage sustainable school trips and enable schools and colleges to re-open safely in September.

Two weeks ago, we revealed that hopes for Reading’s first ever school street had received the backing of a major school.

And the council is now ready to receive applications from schools.

Councillor Tony Page, RBC’s lead member for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport, said the thousands of extra journeys when schools return will provide a “considerable challenge” due to the social distancing restrictions on public transport.

He said the creation of School Streets “will not only make travel to schools safer and allow for social distancing, but also create a healthier and more pleasant local environment for everyone”.

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A School Street is a road outside a school with a temporary restriction on motor traffic at drop-off and pick-up times.

England’s first ever school street was introduced outside a school in Camden in 2017.

Professor Dr Kate Reynolds, Director of Education at the RBC-owned company Brighter Futures for Children, said there has already been some interest shown in the “exciting” initiative.

Schools interested in being part of the School Streets scheme can download information and an application pack from www.reading.gov.uk/schoolstreets

Councillor Ashley Pearce, RBC’s lead member for Education, said there is “understandable anxiety” about from some parents and pupils about the new school year and the council would do its best to make the return to school “as easy as possible”.

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As part of the funding, a new web portal will be created, collating all the up to date information on sustainable travel options for each individual school across Reading.

The council has also received £116,000 from the DfT to support improvements to school bus services for the start of the new school year in September.

Improvements to the school bus network are being developed by the council and its bus company Reading Buses.